The Wider Angle with Jeff James

“Life is what happens to you when you’re busy making other plans.” John Lennon

I was going to write about this subject in one of my Monday Love posts, but Jeff beat me to it! Kylie has been a little challenging lately (she even got on RED at school yesterday *gasp*) and I felt like much of it had to do with the lack of control she had of her days. Being five, she is just beginning to really understand the concept of time so she wants to know what day it is, when the weekend is coming, when will it be Good Friday so she can stay over at Uncle Scott’s house????? I should probably expand things with a weekly or monthly calendar, but for now, our daily sheet is working very well.

Another issue of the Wider Angle, written by my husband Jeff.

Raise your hand if you lie in bed at night and think about all the stuff you have to do tomorrow? Ok – hands down … do you think your kids do that? Sure they do – But they know only a fraction of the details that you do … so it’s time to fill them in.

Over the last several weeks, Crystal and I have been overwhelmed with questions from our sweet Kylie-Bear. These aren’t the fun, inquisitive type like “Is the moon really made of cheese?” No, its the non-stop nagging kind like “can I have dessert now?” asked five times in 3 minutes. We provide the same answer each time, and get more visibly annoyed each time. The kind of nagging from your kids that makes you crazy, right? Like you’re gonna lose it, right?

So, it’s a big, scary world out there – and these tiny humans need some help to manage their time and their behavior — and give them a some control. With help from John Rosemond, we started writing down her daily schedule each morning, so she knows what to expect that day and also mapped out a simple numbering system (1-5) to help keep her questions and behavior in check. Needless to say, she feels much more in control – and so do we. 🙂 She knows exactly what will happen next as she moves through the day, and the big X’s on the numbers are a visual reminder of how she’s behaving, AND the privilege she could potentially lose. Remember, if you appear ‘out of control’ – so will your children. Rules and consequences are the foundation for turning this big, scary world into a piece of cake – and for keeping your sanity as an adult.

For those not the faint of heart … click here to read the Bill of Rights from John Rosemond.